Laura Branigan - Spanish Eddie (1985)

When one mentions Laura Branigan, one instinctively thinks of her songs Gloria or Self Control.  But mention Spanish Eddie and they might ask "Who?"  In their defense, it was Branigan's lowest charting song in the US, peaking at the not so caliente 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The lyrics reference life on the streets and the song is speculated to be about Eduardo Vincente, who tried to organize a peace treaty among New York City gangs in the early 70s.  In the music video, Laura takes a shine to the Spanish Eddie in her dance studio, who gets into a bit of trouble dealing to some gang members.  Fortunately, I was able to get in touch with the director, Michael Heldman, who was nice enough to clue me in on where the majority of the video was filmed.   

Location: Spanish Eddie's Apartment Building

Address: 3205 Descanso Drive, Los Angeles, CA

 

Location Visited: June 2021

Locations Master List

Die Hard 2 (1990)

 

It's Christmastime, there's no need to be afraid.  At Christmastime, we let in light and we banish shady army colonels and majors.  At least that's what LAPD officer John McClane does when Dulles International Airport is overtaken by Colonel William Stuart and his brigade on a snowy Christmas Eve.  They hack into air traffic control and darken the runways so planes are unable to land, including Holly McClane's!  Their goal is to rescue drug lord Ramon Esperanza, who is being extradited to the United States.  With the help of the airport's chief engineer and a janitor, John is able to take Stuart down and save the day, er, eve once again.

Die Hard 2 joins Terminator 2 (1991), Halloween II (1981) and Jaws 2 (1978) as one of few sequels that are worthy to or if not better than the original.  The action for this film is not confined to one building, with plane crashes and snowmobile chases taking it to new heights.  While I prefer Hans Gruber and his dry sense of humor, ruthless villain Colonel William Stuart holds his own and Dennis Franz is entertaining as a less threatening nemesis for McClane.  Critics mostly favored the film and audiences were ready to die harder as the sequel raked in double from what Die Hard (1988) made.  But they would have to wait five long years before the same thing to happen to the same guy three times.  

Location: Dulles Airport Terminal Interior

Address: 1 World Way, Los Angeles, CA 

A few different airports filled in for Dulles.  The Tom Bradley International Terminal makes its second appearance in the franchise during the establishing and evacuation scenes.  This time, the second floor is used...

This area is also seen in Backstreet Boys I Want It That Way (1999) music video.

Location Visited: June 2021

Related Locations:

Die Hard (1988)

Locations Master List